Hans of the Southern Isles
by roseisaroseisaroseisarose
Summary: Hans, the vile villain of Frozen, was last seen being thrown into a prison bound for the Southern Isles. Why did he try to kill Elsa? Why didn't he love Anna? What will happen to him now? Will he ever find love? Will he ever find his own place? Who is he? Who will he become?
1. One Day After the Great Thaw

The HMS Delilah-One Day after the Great Thaw

The ships rocks against a torrent of waves, and even from down below, I can still hear the wind howling whipping the sails into a frenzy flapping and whistling. The whine of the wind sounds like ghosts moaning to be heard, moaning to be noticed, moaning to be recognized. The rain is like the beating of drums in the background each thump, thump, thump echoing like a footstep marching into battle. Every couple minutes, I hear a loud thump as something or someone falls on deck, and I always wonder if I care anymore if anyone ever gets hurt or dies.

It seems like death itself would be a reprieve from the misery of the world where one man can never be remembered. A man may be remembered momentarily written down in history, but even the greatest will be lost to the sands of time. In one million years, will anything be left? Will anything matter? I tried so hard to make a difference, to make the world a better place, but I failed. Sometimes you have to hurt the people to benefit the whole. I was willing to become a murderer to bring a lasting era of peace. I was willing to give up my soul for thousands of people, but she stopped me.

The little prat stepped in front of her sister without thinking, fueled by love. Love is like tinder. It burns brightly at first, flashing and blurring. It dances delightfully with a purity and joy that cannot be replicated, but slowly it flickers and blinks. It begins to die fueled only be weak, delicate wood. Finally, the flame vanishes leaving only an empty pit of darkness and emptiness. I have never loved a person, and I don't believe I ever will. My heart belongs to the people as a mass. A man once said, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." I believe that I can be great. I can feel it in my bones running through my blood in a burning throb.

I reach for greatness, but I fall. I tumble off of a cliff reaching forward and continue into the abyss grasping for anything. I never find it. I had it in my grasp before, and all I had to do was kill a monster. I had to kill the Snow Queen, a most monstrous woman. Only I could see past her fair skin, sweet eyes, and full mouth to the coldness within. Her frozen heart had only given her power to bend nature to her will. Only a monstrosity can cause an eternal winter and equally horrific creatures of snow. I have seen her almost kill men who were only trying to subdue her. I have seen her thrust pointed spikes towards her own sister.

Her weak little sister, Anna. Innocent and naive like a lamb bouncing around falling on her own feet. I pity poor Anna; her sister almost killed her. The Snow Queen thrust a blast of ice through her heart eating away at her energy and warmth. Sweet Anna saved the monster who had attempted to murder her. Anna, who asked me to save her with true love's kiss.

I could not because I never loved her. I wish that I could have saved her. I only asked her to marry me because I loved her country. I loved its great mountains topped in flurries of snow and ice. I loved its town square bustling with people gowned in bright reds, pinks, and oranges. I had finally found my own place. Now, I'm cast adrift back to the Southern Isles to meet my final judgement.


	2. Two Weeks

The Southern Isles- 14 days after the Great Thaw

I walk onto solid ground and throw up everything I'd eaten in the past week. The sea had been at war with the ship for the past two weeks whipping the sea into a frenzy. The sailors blamed the storm on Neptune, King of the Seas, but I blamed the storm on Elsa, Queen of Snow. I am convinced the demon sent the storm as a bon voyage present.

I was only trying to keep everyone in Arendelle safe. A true king gives anything to keep his people safe, and Elsa was putting everyone in danger. I had to plunge a sword through her heart to defend the people even if all I wanted to do was pull her in protecting her from cold. Her delicate skin, like an exquisite frost coating the windows, pulled close to mine.

The weather in the Southern Isles is unbearably warm with the dense air closing sucking away the breath in my lungs. I hate this place. The people in the square turn to look at me with confused gasps and questioning gazes. One of my friends, Mari, rushes towards me, but the guards block her. I reach towards her, needing to soothe her horrified face and defiant stance. The guards smash me into the ground and then move towards Mari. Mari brings up her tiny fits and smashes it into the upper jaw of one of the guards. The guards quickly surround her, disabling the child and leaving her prostrated across the ground.

I'm marched directly into the throne room and thrown on my knees in front of Jon, my eldest brother. When I was younger, I loved this room with its vaulting ceilings and elegant furnishings of gold and velvet. With all my heart, I wanted the throne with its huge oaken frame and plush burgundy cushions. I wanted to be burdened with the heavy golden crown nestled in my copper hair and the great scepter of rubies in my palm. I lost my love when I had to be a witness to Jon's coronation and Kai being named his predecessor. That is when I realized that I would have to make a name for myself, on my own.

Jon looks down on me with a disappointed gaze that breaks my heart, and I can't meet his eyes. A herald announces, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is hereby charged of treason against the monarchy of Arendelle and attempted murder of the monarch of Arendelle." Jon peers down at me with pity gleaming in his eyes, and he asks if I would like to defend myself. I look him in the eyes, and I say, "All I did, I did for Arendelle and its people. I would do it again." With sadness, he looks around the chamber catching the eyes of all eleven of my other brothers, and in a booming voice decrees, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is hereby stripped of his title, fortune, and property. May he find solace in having nothing. Let it be said, and let it be done." The people boom, "Long live King Jon." With a raise of his hand, Jon continues, "Hans of the Southern Isles will be burned at the stake at noon tomorrow. Let it be said, and let it be done." The people echo with a shadow of grief in their voices, "Long live King Jon."

After the hearing, I am thrust into the dungeon. The room is bitterly cold with the air biting at my nose, my fingers, and my heart. It reminds me of the Snow Witch, the reason that I am here. I feel my entire body tense in hatred and disgust of the woman, and I throw myself against the bars. Any feeling, any pain, anything is better than the feeling of emptiness that I feel emerging within me. I can't stand the thought of it anymore. I am truly nothing now without a name, a place, or a family. I stare into the void feeling myself fade into oblivion. Nothing matters anymore. I am truly on death's doorstep.


	3. Execution Day

The Southern Isles- 15 days after the Great Thaw, Execution Day

Outside of the cell, the birds are softly chirping and tweeting a song of joy and love that speaks of spring and sunshine. I can't help but hum along with them, and I smile even though, I know my death is hours away. The song seems to mock the life that I can't have and know that I never will have. I sit in the glistening sunshine basking in the warmth of the world. I love the light, the fire, the life that the world seems to be dangling in front of my nose. I just want to experience them one last time before I'm gone turning into ash in the wind.

At high noon, a guard yanks open the door. I'm spread across the icy, stone floor as if making a snow angel. The guard walks over to me, grasps my hand, and jostles me into a standing position almost dislocating my shoulder. He shackles my hands together, and we begin the long upward ascent into the sunlight. When I take the last few steps, the light burns into my eyes. My eyes are suddenly filled with white, red, and orange which I can't see pass. Finally I regain my sight, and I can see the immense pile of wood in the middle of the square. A single trunk is thrust in the middle seeming to grow larger as if drawing life from my dread. A large audience of people encircles the pile in silence; each member wearing a face of dread and depression.

The guard ties me to the trunk with rope which cuts into my wrists. I refuse to grimace. If I die, I die with honor. I'll go to my death believing that I am been virtuous and noble. A dark, hooded man reads off the charges in a deafening roar announcing, "Hans of the Southern Isles is sentenced to death at the stake for treason and attempted murder. May he find peace elsewhere." The man is then handed a torch which he places at the base of the mass of wood.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the flames take to the wood. Each one shimmers red, yellow, orange, and gold dancing with a fiery passion. They approach me quickly eating and consuming. I refuse to stare at the fire, and I keep my eyes forward unseeing. Suddenly, a whisper of heat licks my flesh. The whisper begins to move up my legs to my chest and my arms engulfing my body in an inferno. A pain shoots through my entire body ripping through my muscle and flesh like a sword. I can't help but shriek in agony, and my voice flies from my body of its own accord. I plead to just die and stop feeling. I beg to no longer grace the world with my presence.

In an instant, everything disappears. A coldness as frigid as death fills my body from head to toe. I feel as if my blood has been replaced by ice and my mind with snow. I feel myself giving in, drifting in and out of consciousness. I want to stop resisting and fall asleep. An image, brought on by the cold, flashes by my eyes. I see the White Queen for only an instant. Her exquisite blonde hair flows behind her with her sapphire eyes gleaming mischievously as snow spins and spirals around her. Her glittering icy blue dress streams behind her shimmering gracefully.

Suddenly, my heart begins to burn intensely. It burns with a fiery passion that I have never experienced before. It feels as if the flames are engulfing my heart. The strange thing is that I like the feeling. Before I wanted to live. Now I need to live. Life begins to course through me, and I pull away from the cold. My heart is full of flames and spirit. I struggle to breath and move, but I can't. Something dark and ominous is pushing on my chest preventing me from drawing breath. I continue to struggle, and suddenly, the shadow gives in. I take a desperate gasp.


	4. Rebirth

The Southern Isles- 16 Days after the Great Thaw

I should be dead. I force open my eyes taking in my surroundings. I'm in a dark room furnished completely in black velvet with shadows flitting across the walls and floors. A wall of glass surrounds me encasing my body in a crystal sheen. I look down and realize that my body is decimated with only black remanents remaining. My legs are shriveled stumps reminding me of gnarled trees, and my torso is covered in a black rocky substance that I realize must be what is left of my skin. I can't move anything at all, and I feel heavy as if I'm encased in lead.

A sound to my right reverberates through the silence. Jon and his wife, Iris, approach the coffin. I can hear Iris weeping uncontrollably, and I wish that I could reach and comfort her. She is my age and twenty years younger than Jon. I once kissed her in an abandoned garden after a masquerade. We were both sixteen and had consumed a fair amount of alcohol. That night I had worn an exquisite suit of blue velvet with silver trim finished with a simple black silk mask covering half my face, and she, an exquisite silk dress of gold and cream that complimented her golden locks perfectly. The grand ballroom was bedecked in golden furnishings with candlelight flickering off the mirrors and marble floors. Courtiers flocked in decadent silks and satins chatting in an endless whirlwind of chaos. Iris and I danced together spinning, twirling, and dipping in perfect unison, and as the ball came to a close, I pulled her aside to the rose garden. I leaned in close to gaze into her sparkling cobalt eyes, and suddenly, she closed the distance pressing her lips to mine. I reciprocated cupping her chin and pulling her closer. I still remember how gentle and ethereal she felt, like an angel who was accidentally born on Earth. In the end, Jon stole her from me insisting she follow through on their betrothal, but I am glad because the Southern Isles gained a perfect queen underneath her.

Jon approaches my body with an air of aloofness and grief that cannot be communicated. I can see the tears that run down his cheeks in rivulets of pain and agony. He throws himself prostrated beside my coffin as if willing himself to lie dead beside me. Dutiful Iris rushes to his side softly murmuring to him and petting his head. He sits up and pulls her to his chest. Together, they sit for several moments in each other's arms as if trying to keep the other from splitting into pieces. I can't stand the looks of pain they give my carcass.

Suddenly, my heart begins to burn intensely. My heart feels like it did when I was burning on the stake. It feels as if the flames are once again licking at my heart searing wherever they touch. I can feel the fire spread to the rest of body consuming my flesh in seconds. Jon and Iris suddenly glance upward, and their faces contort into sculptures of surprise and fear. I realize that I am literally on fire. I can see the flames reflected in their eyes as they back away desperately.

Fire doesn't just destroy and murder; it heals and regrows. As the flames touch my flesh, I can feel my muscle and skin knitting together and becoming healthy and full. Finally, the flames vanish as if all the fuel has been consumed. Power flows within me filling my veins with an intense burning sensation. I can feel my hands and feet again, and I clench them amazed by my ability to move them. I push my body into a sitting position moving aside the glass above me. Jon and Iris are cowering in the back corner shaking in terror looking at me like I'm a monster. After a moment, their vision seems to clear, and Iris gasps, "Hans?" in wonder. I whisper, "Yes, its me." She glides over in a a trance sliding her hands down my face to check if I'm real. She throws her arms around my neck nestling her head into my chest.

Jon walks over cautiously with his hands behind his back and catches my eye. I finally say with a voice of amazement, "It's me, Jon. I'm so sorry that I put you through that. I'm so sorry." Tears begin to flow down my face mixing with Iris's. After a minute, he replies in a hurried tone, "Leave. You have to leave. You can't stay here." With a confused and disbelieving look, I question, "Why?" He answers with a whisper and tears brimming in his eyes, "Because you're a traitor, and I can't kill you again. You're my brother, and I can't. Please you have to go." I stand there feeling the words wash over me. Finally, he shouts, "Leave. Please leave." I realize that he's telling the truth, so I entangle Iris from my arms. I look into her sky-blue eyes and bring her face to mine. I clutch her as I did two years ago, and my lips whisper against hers. I pull her waist close to my body as if trying to meld her body into mine. I move my lips down her throat, and I feel her gasp in desire. I have seen how Jon looks at her, and I know that he doesn't kiss her like this. I finally pull away and dash out of the palace.


	5. The Wilderness

The Southern Isles- 17 Days after the Great Thaw

I wake up as dawn begins to peak over the horizon throwing rays of pink, orange, and purple into the sky. I wish I could reach out and catch a single ray and roll it in the palm of my hand. Such a beautiful sunrise can only beckon in a promising day. Warmth spreads over my body filling me with a feeling of comfort and well-being. I bask in the warmth of the sun felling the light seep into the fibers of my being.

After I escaped from the palace, I had darted into the forest weaving around the trees with the surrounding shadows reflecting the dark emotions I felt inside. A torrent of confusion, anger, and depression had whirled around me in an endless storm of grief. I had finally collapsed next to a tree in the forest. But now a calm settles over me like the calm after the storm. I am one with the world, and I sank slowly into the moss.

An hour after dawn, I suddenly feel a pang of hunger. I realize that I have not eaten in at two days. How will I get food? I begin to wander in the forest, but the trees have been picked clean of fruit and berries. The game is silent, and I have nothing to kill them with anyway. There is nothing to feed my aching belly. I attempt to fish in a small stream that I find deep in the woods, but I am awful at fishing probably because I lack a fishing pole or any experience.

While I stand in the river, I feel strange. The water seems to suck away my energy pulling it downstream away from my body. A draining feeling overwhelms me within seconds, and I crawl back to the shore. I collapse upon the warm rocks and take a nap for part of the afternoon. I can't go back to the town for food as someone might recognize me. I am truly on my own. I have never been more frightened before.

The Southern Isles- 47 Days After the Great Thaw

I have begun to eat bugs and the bark off of trees. I feel myself slowly wasting away. I can't continue on like this. I sleep most of the day to conserve energy, but today, I know that when I sleep I won't wake up. Please tell my family that I love them and that I'm sorry.

Colors swirl in my vision painting a rainbow that fades and grows with each passing second. My body is light as a feather, and gravity seems to have stopped holding me to the Earth. I drift and fall upon a current of wind.

The Southern Isles- 50 Days After the Great Thaw

I open my eyes to a warm crackling fire beside me. My eyes drift around the room intaking a flood of unfamiliar images. I'm lying on bed and underneath me is a colorful quilt of red and white that rustles softly. I attempt to sit up, but suddenly, strong, warm hands push me back onto the bed. A warm towel is placed upon my head clearing my thoughts and stopping the world from spinning. I turn my head to see an old man sitting beside the bed in a weathered armchair.

The man's powdery white hair suggests his is well into the later part of his life. His kind blue eyes stare out of his withered face reassuring me that I am safe. His wrinkled hands sit still and worn down on his lap, and he catches my eye smiling gently. I open my mouth to speak, but he quickly cuts me off. He says, "I found you half-dead in the woods. You have been unconscious for several days. Please rest." As if my body could only follow his command, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

The Southern Isles- 57 Days After the Great Thaw

I awoke today to an empty room. The fireplace is cold in the corner with smoke wafting from the ashes. I sit still on the bed soaking in the comfort and tranquility of the room. A single thought suddenly shatters my calm.

Does this man know who I am? I am the prince of the kingdom, or at least, I was. I have to get out of here. I jerk out of bed and place my feet on the floor. I put weight on them and wobble slightly. I can stand, but I move slowly. Maybe I can catch a boat to a faraway country and start over there. I limp out of the room, but once outside, I find that I'm crawling more than I am standing. After about five minutes, I collapse from the exhaustion the endeavor has put upon my still frail body. I begin to cry unceremoniously bemoaning my weakness and faults. Suddenly, a ring of fire bursts around me, but I can't crawl away. What is going on? Did I do this?

This is how the old man finds me, surrounded in fire crouched on the ground with tears gushing down my face. He drops the firewood in his arms and dashes over. With a wave of his hand, the fire is extinguished in a great roar. He rushes over and pulls me into his arms murmuring, "I knew there was something different about you." I fall asleep here feeling safe in his arms, safer than I did with my own father.

When I wake up again later that night, the old man is standing beside my bed. Noticing I'm awake, he begins, "I don't believe I have introduced myself properly. My name is Axel. I have been living in this cottage for forty years. As you might have seen earlier, I can control air. With your fire, I simply snuffed out the air around it." I raise my head in surprise, "I created that fire?" He laughs for a moment filling the room with his rumbling chuckle, "Of course you did. Flames don't pop out of the ground. Clearly, you don't know how to control it. I'll teach you how to control it, but in return, you must become my apprentice. I am the physician for a nearby visit, and if I die, nobody will be able to care for the people. You seem to be intelligent and hard-working." Seeing a chance to live and prosper in my exile, I jump upon the chance blurting out, "I accept. Thank you so much." With a glint in his eyes, he replies, "Don't thank me yet."

The Southern Isles- The Summer

For the first lesson, Axel turns to me bluntly saying, "Without truth, this won't work. Who are you?" After a moment, I finally comply, "I'm the former Prince Hans of the Southern Islands. I was executed a month ago." He stares at me for a moment, and then hands me a pair of instructing me to put them on. I slip them on my hands, and a sudden calm envelops me.

Axel teaches me how to conceal and not feel my power. Every morning I meditate to control my emotions preventing an outbursts of fire. After I have slowed down my breathing and mind, Axel demonstrates how to sculpt the magic into fantastical shapes and perform simple tasks. I quickly master this skill, and soon, fire bends to my every whim. A roaring bonfire erupts into life at my feat. Fire sparks and dances from my hand creating curls and stars.

Every afternoon, I learn from Axel how to cure the weak and the sick. I learn how to crush plants into poultices, which herbs can cure illness, and how to restore health in the most damaged bodies. We often travel down to a tiny nearby village to aid the destitute inhabitants. I help women give birth allowing me to hold new life within my hands. I solve the conundrums of novel sicknesses which have caused years of pain and agony. I hold the hands of dying people reassuring them that they will find peace on the other side. Never have I felt more fulfilled or more content with my life.


	6. Masquerade

The Southern Isles- Five Years After the Great Thaw

Life has a sick sense of humor. It will curse you in the worst way possible and often in the most ironic way possible. Its really strange the way life punishes you. Often you think that you're free as a bird, but then you learn that you're as free as a slave. Sometimes when you're freed, you realize you were more free as a slave.

Today, Axel walks into the cottage while I'm busy mixing a salve for a young widow in the village who has been experiencing excruciating. As soon as he steps through the door, I can tell that something is wrong. After a year with him, I can tell that something is wrong. I ask, "What's wrong? Who died?" He shakes his head mournfully and faces the ground murmuring to himself. Finally, he looks up and says, "I have taught you everything I know. If you wish to leave, I give you your freedom." Shocked, I respond, "I would never leave you or this village. This is my home now. Whatever palace was my home before is dead to me." With a melancholy look, he finally bursts out, "There is a masquerade ball at the palace in a week."

A hundred emotions and thoughts crash into my mind at the same time. I had tried so hard to put the past behind me and longer think about that portion of my life. Suddenly, Iris's face crosses my mind crying and screaming in depression. Next, Anna's pained stare on her death bed flashes by. Finally, Elsa's regal portrait forms like a long forgotten dream. I exclaim, "I have to go." Axel nods with understanding. I follow up my exclamation with, "I have to say goodbye to Iris and tell her that I'm fine. I have to remind Jon that I'm his brother and tell him that I'm leaving his life forever. I have to end my life with the palace." Axel gives a look of understanding and begins to silently pack my bags for travel.

The Southern Isles- Five Days Before the Masquerade

My bags are packed, and I'm about to step out the door. Axel walks up to me and hands me an envelope. I question, "What is this?" Axel tells me, "It's money for your trip." I open the envelope and count one hundred fifty Crowns. I exclaim and push the envelope back towards him, "This is your life's savings. I can't take this." Smiling, he pushes the envelope back into my hand, "You're my legacy. I trained you like I would have my son. I give this money to you. Buy new clothes in town, so you can attend the ball and find peace."

Overwhelmed with emotion, I hug him with all my strength whispering in his ear, "I'll come back for you. I promise." WIth a mysterious but wise vision in his eyes, he hugs me back, "You will try. I know you will." I give him a confused glance, but he gestures for me to leave. I jump on the horse I bought from a villager for the ring I had on my finger when I fled the palace. I then begin to follow the river north.

The Southern Isles- Two Days Before the Masquerade

I arrived in town today and was astounded by how little it has changed. The same fountain spirals water in the air in the city square, and the streets look as bright and loud as usual. Its like I never left. I can picture myself as a young boy, hopping around the square laughing with my brothers. Aden pushes me into a fountain while the others laugh, but I jump out with glee, happy to be noticed. I wish that I could be that boy again.

I ride towards an inn in the southern end of town. This side of town is older and more rundown containing the prostitutes and drunks that every town must have. The inn is called the Little Swan Inn and is run by a kind old lady and her thirteen children. It is one of the few inns in town that has a stable, so it is frequently used by poor foreign visitors. The innkeepers gives me a room overlooking the bay; however the room is rundown and ancient. The bed is soft but worn down with moth holes in the blankets. The furniture looks as if many hands have worn it smooth. I set down my bags and gaze around the room. I fling myself on the bed willing myself to just sleep for a thousand years.

I wake around noon and decide to buy clothes for the masquerade. I ride through the main square covering my face in a voluminous black cloak that flaps around me in a swirl of cotton. I find a boutique that's name is familiar because the royal family used to support it, but they do not know my face as all the clothes were simply snt by with servants to the palace. I walk in and am assaulted by swirls of bright cloth which flaps in my face. Around the store, feathers, sequins, and thread fly in clouds that waft from the high shelves. I walk to the counter of the store, and the girl at the counter looks disdainfully down at my dirty boots. I lift up my hood and give her a charming smile. She looks at my face and begins to flutter her eyelashes quickly clearly impressed by my face. With a coy smile, she asks, "How can I help you today?" I tell her, "I need a costume for the masquerade tomorrow. I'm sorry for the late notice." She smiles and pokes my nose playfully saying, "Don't worry. I'll stay all night finishing it up," and with a wink, she follows this by saying, "if you want to find me later, I'll be here." I wink, and we begin to design the costume as I lean in closer.

I later leave the store after paying nearly half of Axel's fortune for the costume. I was ripped off, but I decide to go to a nearby tavern for dinner. I sit down to an enormous platter of pork with sauce which I eat greedily as I haven't eaten anything this rich in over five years. After I'm done, it's quite late, so I decide to go back to the shop. I knock on the door, and the shop-girl opens the door smiling brightly. She whispers, "I finished your costume. Once I started, I couldn't stop." I interrupt her with a kiss. I haven't kissed anyone in five years because whenever I looked at another woman, she morphed into a blonde with blue eyes. Even as I kiss this girl with dark hair and green eyes, I still think about another girl. I push her into the shop and slam the door behind us.

The Southern Isles- One Day Before the Masquerade

I wake up on a table in the store with an ache in my back and neck. The girl lays beside me, so I make myself presentable and rush back to the inn. Once I get back, I collapse once more on my bed in a pile of flesh and bones that ache in a dull pain.

Later that day I return to the store. The girl smiles sweetly at me once again and hands over the parcel which I thank her graciously for and leave. I can tell in her eyes that she expected me to say something about last night, that it meant something to me. However, I can't because in my mind, she wasn't even the one I was kissing.

The Southern Isles- The Masquerade

I spend the entire day readying myself for that night. I go to the bath house and take a pungent bath in lavender and rose water. I emerge feeling pure and clean as if the past is already washed away from me. I take a nap to conserve me energy for that night and wake up around noon.

I slip on the costume and look at myself in the mirror. I had decided earlier that day to dye my hair in black walnut powder because the copper burned out like a star. I am wearing a simple black outfit similar to the one I had worn when I went to Elsa's coronation except instead of a white jacket and blue pants, both are as dark as the bottom of the ocean. My ascot is a fiery red, and the jacket has delicate designs of golden flames embroidered into it. The mask has brilliant red and copper threat forming a circle of flames around my face that in the light, glimmer and prance. The piece is finished off with black leather gloves caressing the skin softly.

I look like a prince again. My heart begins to heave and huff as if trying to catch its breath. I can't do this. The floor around my feet begins to smoke, and I take a deep breath allowing the flames to subside. I have to do this. I fix my hair running my hands nervously and walk out of the room. I jump onto my horse holding on delicately allowing my black outfit to camouflage with horse's dark hide.

I arrive at the palace jumping gracefully off the horse like I used to and walk confidently up the palace steps. The herald requests my name, and I tell him that I am Lord Brann of the North. I jaunt in gazing around for Iris and Jon. One would think that it would be easy to find the Queen and King, but it isn't. I end up standing in a corner cloaked in shadow sipping wine from a goblet while staring wistfully at the chocolate fountain. Suddenly, a strange voice whispers for me to look up, and my eyes are drawn towards the front entrance. A young woman has entered.

The woman has a simple braid running down her back with diamonds interspersed delicately making her hair sparkle as if snowflakes were caught in it. She wears a floor-length strapless dress made of a material that looks familiar but strange at the same time. The bottom of her dress is a dark ocean blue that almost verges on black, but it slowly transitions into a sky blue at the top of her dress. Trailing her dress is a long shimmering cloak of a clear, light material that floats behind her gently. Her neck has a simple strand of sapphires that catch light flickering like stars on ice at night. To finish off the outfit, she wears a simple, unadorned, white, silk mask that covers half her face.

She walks into the ballroom and immediately flees to the back. Behind her, I finally catch a glimpse of Iris and Jon. I begin to follow them trying to catch them, but then I realize that the mystery woman is doing the same. I witness her eyes flitting towards their heads multiple times as if she's trying to catch their attention. Finally, they're free, and I begin to make my way toward them. They almost seem to be trying to avoid me, so I begin to jog single-mindedly towards them. Suddenly, a pressure knocks me to the floor, and I realize that I've run into the woman in blue. I was raised as a gentleman, so I stagger into a standing position and offer her my hand.

She smiles graciously and slips her delicate hand into mine. I apologize profusely begging her forgiveness with a gentle kiss on her hand. She replies, "It's my fault. I'm such a clutz." With a smile, I slyly ask, "Can I make it up to you with a dance?", and she graciously accepts my offer. The dance is slow waltz, and my feet remember the steps as if I've been going to balls every month like I used to. Afterwards, we end up chatting the night away. We click like two puzzle pieces that are meant to fit together. We talk about books, joke about the people in the room, and discuss our favorite foods and past times. The strange thing is that she never brings up her identity or her family and neither do I. I feel bonded to her in a way that I've never felt before, like I've known her my whole life.

As the night draws to a close, I see Jon and Iris in a corner and charmingly exit her acquaintance. I approach Iris and whisper in her ear, "This is Hans. Meet me in the back garden. You know where. Bring Jon with you," and see her nod. I jog into the garden where we kissed. Fifteen minutes later, I hear a rustle and see Jon and Iris approaching. I rip of my mask and run to hug them. I hold both of them tightly as if trying to make up for the missed years. Finally, I extract myself and turn to speak to them. I begin with, "You're probably wondering why I'm here." They both nod, and I continue, "I'm here to say goodbye. I found a life, and I'm not coming back. I'm happy. I just want you to know that I love you, and I'll never forget you." They nod, and Iris begins blinking her eyes to hide the tears creeping beneath her eyelashes. They hug me once more and then proceed to exit the garden. After about fifteen minutes, I leave to and reenter the ballroom running straight into the mystery woman again.

I laugh picking her up again apologizing, "I keep running into you. I'm sorry. It really isn't intentional." Through laughter, she replies, "Sure it isn't. I was just going to get fresh air." A moment of silence stalls between as we look into eachother's eyes. Her eyes are as bright as sapphires with stars that dance behind them. She stares at me for a second and then reaches hypnotically to take off my mask as if her hand has a mind of its own. For some reason, I'm frozen in place by her beauty and can't seem to stop her. Suddenly, my face is exposed, and she gasps in surprise jumping back five feet. She rips of her disguise, and I'm taken aback. It's Queen Elsa, the Snow Queen of Arendelle. She whispers, "You?" I panic and make a motion to leave. She steps in front of me grasping me by my shoulders frantically saying, "You're supposed to be dead." I push her away, but she begins to follow. I scream, "Don't follow me," and everyone in the room stares at us.

I am a trapped animal with my eyes darting around the room. Suddenly, a ring of fire burst underneath my feet almost catching Elsa on fire. I rush out of the room leaving a trail of smoke in my wake. Outside in the courtyard, people mill around, and a young girl catches my eye. I recognize that its Mari. With an amazed twinkle, she yells out, "Prince Hans" rushing towards me. I can't do this now. Suddenly, with a loud crackle, the tree behind me bursts into fire followed by another circle around me. Mari jumps away with a terrified look in her face.

I sprint away into the dark forest.


	7. Bonfire

The Forest- The Day of the Masquerade

Around me churning flames of red and gold lick at the trees greedily. They burst and pop consuming everything they touch. I'm blinded by light, and I whirl around causing the flares to twirl around me. I don't know where I'm going, so I keep on running. The flames spread outward from me eating at the foliage of the forest destroying and decimating everything. I can't stop, and finally, I collapse in the middle of the woods.

The Forest- One Day After the Masquerade

I wake up in the middle of the forest experiencing deja vu of the first time I fled the palace five years ago. This time, I'm able to keep my wits about me. After a moment, I remember that a small village exists nearby, and I begin to walk north using the rising sun as a compass point in the east. I reach the village around noon, and I commandeer a horse selling the ring on my finger to the resident stable master.

The Forest- Three Days After the Masquerade

Galloping through the forest, the leaves whip in my hair as I race home. I have to leave behind the palace, that other life. Finally after riding straight resting only for the night to sleep, I can see the cabin's roof in the distance. I push the horse to go faster, and finally, I arrive at the clearing. I leap of the horse and rush into the house needing to tell Axel everything.

The house possesses an eerie silence that envelops it like a fog. I desperately search for Axel, and I call him name continuously filling the air with my desperate pleas. Finally, I find him in bed, and I rush to his side. Not until I hug him, do I feel the coldness of his body. I touch his hand and find it to be ice cold. His pulse is gone. Axel is dead.

In his left hand, I find a letter addressed to me.

_Dear Hans,_

_I love you as I would my own kin. I hope that your journey has allowed you to release the past and move on with your future. I'm sorry that I was never able to say goodbye. I've been sick for many months, but I could not bear burdening you with my worries. I knew that if I told you of my weakness that you would not travel to meet your destiny. You needed to return to the past to leave it behind. May your path lead you to happiness and peace. Embrace who you are._

_Goodbye,_

_Axel_

With tears in my eyes, I climb on the horse and ride at neck-breaking speed into the mountains. I need to get away from death and despair. At the top of the tallest peak, I can see the sun setting behind the horizon clinging onto the sky desperately. I jump off the horse and set it free. I watch it gallop away shaking its mane into the wind.

My emotions begin to fly out of control as flames lick around my hands spiraling, creating deathly spirals of sparks.

_The fire glints golden in the shadows tonight_

_Not a star to be seen_

_A kingdom of isolation,_

_And it looks like I'm the King._

_The flames are burning like this churning inferno inside_

_Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried_

_Don't let them in, don't let them see_

_Be the good boy you always have to be_

_Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know_

_Well, now they know_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Can't hold it back anymore_

_Let it go, let it go_

_Turn away and slam the door_

_I don't care_

_What they're going to say_

_Let the flames rage on,_

_The pain never bothered me anyway_

_It's funny how some distance_

_Makes everything seem small_

_And the fears that once controlled me_

_Can't get to me at all_

_It's time to see what I can do_

_To test the limits and break through_

_No right, no wrong, no rules for me_

_I'm free_

_Let it go, let it go_

_I am one with the shadows and night_

_Let it go, let it go_

_You'll never see me hide_

_Here I stand_

_And here I'll stay_

_Let the fire rage on_

_My power flurries through the air into the ground_

_My soul is sparking in swirling embers all around_

_And one thought ignites like a glowing pyre_

_I'm never going back,_

_The past is in the past_

_Let it go, let it go_

_And I'll emerge like the dark of night_

_Let it go, let it go_

_That perfect prince is gone_

_Here I stand_

_In the dark of night_

_Let the storm rage on,_

_The pain never bothered me anyway_

I fling off the gloves Axel gave me. I no longer need or want them. I race up the mountain flowing lava out of my hands creating a smooth bridge of obsidian to the peak. With a raise of my hands, molten rock rises out of the ground forming glowing spires. With a stomp of my feet, magma crystallizes into a smooth onyx floor. Above me, an chandelier of ebony burns into existence. Around me, a palace emerges made entirely of obsidian glowing with an inner fire. Flames continuously lick the walls shimmering like an illusion.

Nothing can frighten me now. An inferno envelops me in flame, and I am reborn. The flames have burned my clothes, and out of the ashes, a new garb is created. The black suit is gone in cinders around my feet. The new attire's gray pants glint like coal in the light of the flames, and the black jacket shimmers with blue flames. An inferno emerges from behind me creating a cape of crimson and amber.

Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is gone. He burns in the bonfire of my past. Only, Hans, the man, lives on.


End file.
